Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:34 am by mastersmith
Hey Chief, just keep an open mind. Thirty years ago my opinion was much different. It was the contract bidding that made me take a second look. ALOA started as a "good old boy" kind of an organization, if you know what I mean. The advent of government intervention seems to have forced them to become more professional. To remain viable as a professional organization they had to get more serious about their function within the trade.
They now have a terrific training program, which should have been the case the whole time, and it wasn't. Is it for everyone? Probably not. If I couldn't take advantage of the training, there would be no reason for me to belong. The training opportunities are regional and may not "fit" everyone's schedule and budget. If you can make it work for you, and I do recommend you try, it can increase your bottom line considerably. Remember to study the aspects that will have a return on investment. Everybody's situation is different.
I am giving serious consideration to being certified as an instructor. I am looking at retirement in a few years and need some sort of plan! It seems to me that passing along what I have learned would be a great way to give back to a trade that has treated me very well. Oh well,I'm off on a tangent now, sorry!
Back to training. Many manufacturers offer product exclusive training that is very good. The downside is that it is taught (most times) by a salesman, they know how to sell not how to maintain. I would bet the Medeco guy you mentioned had been told their product could be picked, they hate that! Manufacturers normally don't care if you belong to a professional group or not. Their focus is on selling their product and supporting those that sell their product.
ALOA training is both general and specific product. Example: GSA containers would give an overview of the specifications, then each lock or container that qualify for certification. One course I have taken that was not worth the time was the lock picking course. You will learn more here in an hour than in an all day class.
Like I said, tailor the plan to fit YOUR needs and it can be a terrific move. Good luck buddy!
Last edited by
mastersmith on Mon Oct 23, 2017 8:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"All ye who come this art to see / to handle anything must cautious be...." Benjamin Franklin